Your range is probably accurate, although she (or possibly a few others) could finish as high as 2nd if Mao and Carolina bomb. Carolina in particular has underperformed at previous Olympics and Mao can be great or very shaky on the jumps.

I highly doubt someone can overtake both Caro and Mao. One might bomb, but both bomb, and bomb badly enough to have someone else sneak in for silver is just impossible.

The way I see it is, Caro is jockeying Joannie's position this time around. Both are silver medalists at the preceding World. Caro is also former WC, seen as a much better skater than Joannie. They will make sure she's on the podium. Her SP score will be out of this world and keep the rest of them out of touch. Just like Joannie hitting 72 or something for a 3x2 and 3F. In the LP, even with 4 triples, I don't see her scoring anything less than 130.

Ashley with 3x3, will be a few points behind Caro in the SP. With 3x3 in the LP, might be 130+. She would have to skate 2 incredible programs back to back to catch a really flawed Caro. Again, they might slap her with a downgrade or two to make sure in the case when Caro/Mao aren't clean, she couldn't catch them. Just like Flatt back in the day.

Same with Gracie. She could be jockeying Mirai's position. Skate perfectly in both phases and still come in 4th.

There are a lot of good will for the top 3. Their TES are among the top. Their PCS will rise considerably next year. I just don't see anyone else getting a silver.

It sounds like Ashley has a realistic view of what she is up against in terms of being on the Olympic podium. These TSL interviews always make me root for a skater, even if they previously had not been a favorite. Hope she has time to get the 3X3. Tom Z said that you need to have the jumps trained and ready in July. Although it sounds like Ashley's issues are nerves/technique not ability.

She said she deserved to go to World in 2010. If she's said she wished they'd sent her to World, that's fine. But deserved? No!

Has Gracie ever come out and said "look look, this is the Gold lutz?" If she did, I'm annoyed by Gracie. If she didn't, I'm annoyed by Ashley for dragging Gracie into something that has nothing to do with anything.

I think Gracie and her coach made jokes about how it's the "Gold Lutz," but she seems perfectly aware that the invention of the jump belongs to Adam Rippon. Besides, she never jumps it in competition, so it's not very relevant to Ashley.

Has Gracie ever come out and said "look look, this is the Gold lutz?" If she did, I'm annoyed by Gracie. If she didn't, I'm annoyed by Ashley for dragging Gracie into something that has nothing to do with anything.

Originally Posted by ForeverFish

I think Gracie and her coach made jokes about how it's the "Gold Lutz," but she seems perfectly aware that the invention of the jump belongs to Adam Rippon. Besides, she never jumps it in competition, so it's not very relevant to Ashley.

Ashley didn't drag Gracie into anything; TSL asked her if she had seen Gracie's instagram practice videos. Ashley replied that she said she only saw them because Adam showed them to her and was like . So it wasn't like Ashley suddenly mentioned Gracie; it was that she'd been asked about Gracie and Ashley told them what Adam said, and how she felt about the whole situation (the move being super-unofficially named the "Gold Lutz") without pageant-queening her words.

Ashley didn't drag Gracie into anything; TSL asked her if she had seen Gracie's instagram practice videos. Ashley replied that she said she only saw them because Adam showed them to her and was like . So it wasn't like Ashley suddenly mentioned Gracie; it was that she'd been asked about Gracie and Ashley told them what Adam said, and how she felt about the whole situation (the move being super-unofficially named the "Gold Lutz") without pageant-queening her words.

Do you understand what she said?
She said as if she does the Bielmann and call it a Wagner. And said you don't do that kind of thing.
Since it's a non-issue, why is she talking like it's an issue?

When I watched it, I thought Gold had the nerve to run around and tell people her lutz is Gold lutz. Since Gold didn't do it, why is she talking as if Gold said it. Adam might have shown her the clips, but was it necessary to include her own take in it?

I would like to think that I perfectly understood what she said, yes. Did you?

I'm not justifying anything she said, but at the same time, it wasn't as if she'd brought or "dragged" the topic of Gracie up; she just added to it.

Originally Posted by FlattFan

When I watched it, I thought Gold had the nerve to run around and tell people her lutz is Gold lutz. Since Gold didn't do it, why is she talking as if Gold said it. Adam might have shown her the clips, but was it necessary to include her own take in it?

In a near flawless run-through of her short program during practice on Wednesday, Gold was particularly pleased with her "Gold lutz" which is a "Rippon lutz" (a triple lutz with both hands raised above the head, named after U.S. skater Adam Rippon).

"We call it a 'Gold lutz' because I'm a female and Adam Rippon is a guy," she said with a smile. "That's what Adam and I negotiated."

It seemed to me to be a harmless joke, but Gracie did say it. Clearly, Adam showed Ashley something along the lines of this. Otherwise, she wouldn't have talked about it. Was Ashley wrong to exaggerate? I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Anyway, I like both Ashley and Gracie. They have grit and fiYAH. I wish them both the best.

Looks like gracie said it as a joke but adam didn't seem to think so. Ashley definitely does not think so because she said she wouldn't call a Biellman a Wagner. She wasn't amused by Gracie.

anyway, was it necessary? Did you understand this fine nuance?

So what does it prove? That she's a bad sport? A bad person in general? Someone you wouldn't want to be friends with? That people are stupid for being her fan? What's the point in such tedious dissection of her words?

Since Adam is her very close friend and roommate, and he wasn't amused, Ashley isn't likely to be and is also likely to be loyal to her friend when asked about it. Was she a little snarky? Yes, just a little. But, Gracie also DID say it, about Adam's move, and again, Ashley is going to be a big Adam supporter. And again, Jenny and Dave brought it up, not Ashley.

So what does it prove? That she's a bad sport? A bad person in general? Someone you wouldn't want to be friends with? That people are stupid for being her fan? What's the point in such tedious dissection of her words?

So it proves that she is a catty girl.
I wouldn't go so far saying she is a bad person. I have always maintained that she is not my cup of tea.

why are you getting testy with me? When did anyone ever said her fans are stupid? Relax, girlfriend.

So it proves that she is a catty girl.
I wouldn't go so far saying she is a bad person. I have always maintained that she is not my cup of tea.

why are you getting testy with me? When did anyone ever said her fans are stupid? Relax, girlfriend.

I'm just wondering why you have spent the majority of this thread nitpicking at every word she's said in this interview. It seems you're bent on proving what you perceive as Ashley's bad character or moral shortcomings. In this thread, you've basically stated that Ashley is unoriginal, catty, delusional, entitled, a cuckoo, so on and so forth.

Many people here, including myself, don't agree with your interpretation.

ETA: I am saying the above statement based on the numerous positive comments on this thread regarding Ashley's demeanor and conduct in this interview.

I was very impressed to see Ashley trying to elevate herself a lot despite all the difficulties she went through in the end of last season. I don't know whether DW's program will be well suited for her or not, but seems like she is happy to work with him so what do I know?

Good luck Ashley! (BTW I didn't laugh at all when you said you wanted to be on the podium in Sochi . I think it is possible! )

In regards to what was said about Dave Lease, I personally love Dave Lease being a co-host, him and Jenny are perfect together (they compliment eachother so, so well!) and he makes it so much more interesting to watch.

Ashley came across really well in the interview and I'm excited to see her new programs! Best of luck to her